Pucay vying for title assault at Iskandar Johor Open
Johor Bahru, Malaysia, 24 October 2009 – The second round of the Iskandar Johor Open finally ended this afternoon with Himmat Rai at the top. Rai, who finished his second round on Friday, continues to hold on to his lead with his two-day total of 13-under-par 131 at the Royal Johor Country Club.
The Iskandar Johor Open heads into the third and final round on Sunday after inclement weather forced officials to reduce the event to a 54-hole stroke play tournament.
Asian Tour honorary member K.J. Choi of Korea and Australia’s Darren Beck held on to their tied second positions on 132 while Chinese Taipei’s Chang Tse-peng is also among the mix in fourth position on 133. At fifth position is Mars Pucay of the Philippines who is aiming for a title assault after closing in on Indian leader Himmat Rai when he posted a superb second round seven-under-par 65 at the US$1 million Iskandar Johor Open.
Pucay, aiming for his maiden Asian Tour win, closed in on Rai when he added a 65 to his opening 69 to lie in tied fifth position alongside Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat on 134.
Starting from the back nine, Pucay opened his campaign with three consecutive birdies starting from the 11th hole. He continued his surge up the leaderboard when his chip from 20 feet found the hole for birdie on 16. He added another birdie on 18 to make the turn in 31.
Pucay kept up with his impressive form and fired another three birdies on two, three and four before dropping a shot on the fifth hole.
"My chipping and approach shots really helped with my game. The course was a bit softer after the rain yesterday and it made it easier to attack the green even when my ball was in the rough," said the 39-year-old. Pucay, who has come close to winning on the Asian Tour on several occasions, is determined to make a title charge tomorrow.
"I have been knocking on the door for so many times so hopefully I can hit my big first. I am hitting the ball and putting well so I feel that I have a huge chance for a crack at the title," said Pucay.
Three-time Asian Tour winner Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand and Korea’s Noh Seung-yul also kept their title hopes alive when they closed with a 69 and 68 respectively to lie in tied ninth position on 137. Chinnarat credited his round to his good tee shots as he found nine fairways but rued two missed opportunities when he failed to hole two three-feet putts for birdies on holes 14 and 15.
"My tee shots gave me a chance for a good round but that two missed birdies really cost me. I feel that I still have a chance at chasing the leader but I need to keep to my game plan of finding more fairways and hitting it close to the hole," said the 20-year-old.
Meanwhile teen sensation Noh was delighted to stay on track for his second Asian Tour win after firing two chip-ins on holes seven and 10 from 10 yards.“I am feeling confident with my tee shots but my iron shots were quite a let down. Anything can happen tomorrow so I am going to give it my best,” said Noh.
Defending champion Retief Goosen of South Africa failed to make an impact and conceded that he was out of the title race after shooting a second round 70 to lie in tied 22nd on 139.
"I think I am pretty much out of the tournament and have no chance of winning especially with the way I am playing. I will go out there tomorrow and play my best and try to improve my finish," said Goosen. "I have been struggling and hitting the ball poorly and not getting myself into position to score. That has cost me this week," added the South African.
The cut for the third and final round was set at two-under with a total of 67 players making the final round.
For more information on the tournament please visit www.iskandarjohoropen.com.
About Iskandar Johor Open
The first edition of the Iskandar Johor Open (IJO) was held in 2007 when it was played from Aug 23 - 26 at the Royal Johor Country Club (RJCC) in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Carrying a purse prize of US$300,000, the inaugural tournament saw a total of 156 players from 25 countries. The tournament was won by Artemio Murakami of the Philippines. Murakami came from two off the lead with a near-flawless closing 68 to take the title by one stroke from compatriot Tony Lascuna and the seasoned Scot, Simon Yates for his maiden win on the Asian Tour.
South African Retief Goosen went on to clinch the coveted trophy in the US$ 500,000 Iskandar Johor Open 2008. 144 golf professionals from the Asian Tour battled it out at the Royal Johor Country Club from 30 October – 2 November 2008. The 2nd edition of Iskandar Johor Open was fully sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Malaysian Golf Association and Johor Golf Association and boasted some of the world’s top players – Retief Goosen, Niclas Fasth, Thongchai Jaidee amongst others.
2009 will mark a milestone in the history of Iskandar Johor Open, with a 100% increase in prize money to US$ 1,000,000. The main sponsor of the Iskandar Johor Open is the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA). It is also supported by platinum sponsor - UEM Land Berhad, the master developer of Nusajaya which is a key driver of Iskandar Malaysia. Other co-sponsors include Iskandar Waterfront Development and UM Land. Official partners are TaylorMade Adidas Golf, 100 Plus, Srixon, Winston Wine, Dewars, Ricoh and the Puteri Pacific Hotel.
IJO 2009 will once again be broadcast live over ESPN STAR Sports, reaching out to over 120 million homes around the world.
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